The Hobbit's Companions
by StealMyArkenstone
Summary: The story we all love from a new point of view. (Thorin Oakenshield/original female character) (thorin/ofc) (Thorin/OC). Future fluff and smut to be included. I do not own characters used throughout this story with the exception of: -Eryne Ailithia and Enidei
1. Tis not what it seemed

Most stories spoken of Middle-Earth, are ones of adventure or vengeance; of danger and battles. Although this tale is no exception of such patterns, it is far from what would be considered the norm. Thorin Oakenshield, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror; a hero, a legend. A name, when spoken, that sets fires a blaze in the souls of those whom hear it. This tale, as you may expect, follows this Dwarf King in his adventure to claim back his homeland, yet as you may not have heard, it does not follow the quest of 13 dwarves, a wizard and a hobbit as the legends claim, it follows the quest of 13 dwarves, a wizard, a hobbit and a woman, a woman from the race of Men.

Where this tale begins is desputed among the few that know of its _ommitted_ details, for history, it seems, is endless. However, for the sake of time and your sense, I will begin where their quest began so many years ago. In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, oh no. This was a hobbit hole, and hobbits liked nothing more than comfort and warmth. This hole in particular, was one of the nicest in all of Hobbiton, arguably, with its freshly painted door and its well kept garden, and in this hole lived Baggins, Bilbo Baggins. Hobbits were known for their love of visitors and parties, and on the day we join Master Baggins, he was preparing for just that, a visitor. He knew little of his friend's past, where she had come from or where she was going. His knowledge extended no further than who she was, what she did and what she had done for him. Though, this of course, could not stop him from wondering of what he did not know.

With these thoughts prancing around the little hobbit's mind he swung open his round, wooden door and stepped into the fresh, welcoming air of the village and thanked he had the courage and confidence to do so, for there was a time where our hobbit had not been so brave, with reason. In anticipation of his guest's arrival Bilbo sat impatiently on the bench that perched before his gate, smoking his pipe and sending delicate rings into the air. I will not bore you with the episode that follows, I am sure you know of Gandalf's sudden and unexpected appearance, the tales tell this part quite accurately. I will however, reveal to you what the legends do not. Behind Gandalf, in the distance, over the rolling hills and the soft, plush grass, roared a stallion, of deep black fur, with its rider, Eryne Ailithia. Although the young hobbit tried to concentrate on the wizards words he found it hard not to gaze occassionally over his shoulder, watching as she grew closer.

"And it's very difficult to find anyone" Gandalf's eyes bore into him, curious at the lack of concentration. He paused, waiting for the silence to bring the hobbit to his senses. It did, but he was soon lost again.

"I should think so-" The hobbit murmered in reply before pausing again. He cleared his throat in the silence, casting his eyes away from the rider.

"in these parts" he finished.

With that Eryne disappeared into the dips of the hills and Bilbo's attention was redeemed by the wizard, though his thoughts often wondered. After a rather hasty farewell the hobbit retreated back into his hole, where he hurriedly tried to prepare for his visitor, who was but moments away. Like magic, Bilbo's kettle had just began to boil when from the hall he heard a knocking, which with a spring in his step and a lightness in his heart, he was pleasured to answer.

"Bilbo Baggins, at your service". He bowed, with the corners of his mouth curved ever so slighty.

"And I at yours dear friend", she replied, her eyes glinting, before stepping into the hallway.

Bilbo had always taken a great interest in her accent, her tone. He liked the way she rolled the words from her mouth with such elegance that it could make a soaring eagle seemed unrefined. That was another thing that puzzled our hobbit, her accent was not of a sound he knew. At this, dear reader, you may be unaffected, for the tales and legends that speak of Bilbo Baggins, would suggest he had little accents to know and many to be surprised by. Unfortunately, I dare say this is not true, though I will say no more for now.

He followed her into the hall, she, little taller than Bilbo himself, needn't duck her head, though she was careful of the candles that hung. Her attire too interested him, it was true that in middle-earth each race dressed differently from the next, Eryne was of the race of Men, but she did not dress like any he had seen, not that he had seen a travelling woman of her kind before. She wore a leather brown corset that covered the most of her white shirt that she wore beneath, draped over her shoulders was a long cape to match her corset. On her legs she wore thick, black leggings, topped with her usual hunting boots. It was Summer, and so the air was warm. In the Winter he noticed she, instead of the cape, wore a large coat of similar material but lined with fox fur on the inside.

Over the cape on her back sat her bow and arrows, which, he had learned many years ago, she crafted herself from simple things in the forest; wood and stone. He admired how she could create such hardy, powerful weapons that held the same beauty as that of an Elvish design. Her bow was not the only weapon she carried, around her waist hung a heavy belt. Hooked to it were an array of knives ranging from thin curved makes to stronger, thicker ones, and her blade. The hobbit knew nothing of swords or of fine craftsmanship, he only appreciated her bow for the beauty it held, but from the gossip and tales he'd heard of his dear friend, he knew that wherever the sword came from, whoever had made it, however she came by it, it was one of the finest in middle-earth.

He took her cape from her and hung it on one of the many coat-hooks he had, their emptiness saddened him deeply, he missed the times when he was surrounded by air full with noise and when coat-hooks strained from the weight. His reminiscing was interrupted as he remembered the kettle had recently boiled and was ready for pouring. He did so, and sought out his friend in the lounge before the fire, where he found her, with more than the flames of the fire in her eyes.


	2. Unexpected guests

She seemed oblivious to his entry into the room, or maybe unaware. Regardless, there Eryne remained seated, her eyes locked on the fire, as though she was searching for something, words possibly. To Bilbo, she seemed troubled, and Bilbo was not mistaken. Breaking the silence, to his surprise, she questioned him,

"Tis beautiful, is it not, friend? The passion and danger that roars so aggressively before us, gently warms our hearts. This is what the world shows me in those flames, I understand the meaning of that, but do you understand what the world shows you?".

He didn't move, Eryne was not usually one for wise words, nor was she one to hide her true meanings in obscure phrases, so what she followed with surprised him slightly.

"The world reflects what you need to see, not only what you want to see".

It was not until the end of their journey that Bilbo realised what she had said to him on that day, and he could only wish he had known then, for it would have saved him from a great deal of troubles. Ignoring the words, he sat near the fire, watching her, she felt his eyes on her skin, but said nothing. They fell back into silence, Eryne was one of the few Bilbo felt he didn't have to converse with to enjoy their company. They sat like this for what felt like hours before he asked of what brought her to The Shire this time, she was vague, but he prodded her for more, until eventually she promised to tell him the whole tale. A lover of books, maps and tales of adventure, Bilbo was drawn in immediately, but more by admiration of the woman that spoke than the tales she spoke of.

It was the day after his friend arrived that he remembered the offer he had made the day before. Eryne was tending to her horse, Enidei, while Bilbo sat nearby, sunbathing on the hill. They chatted merrily of the times when they travelled together while Eryne remained amused by the Hobbit's incessant sneezing.

"Healers can treat that you know, Hobbit"

"For what need? My travelling days are long behind me, Eryne, everything I need now is in here in the shire, I need no horse anymore".

"Pony more like!" She burst, before she exploded into laughter.

"You are no larger than I, Miss! Only your skills as a rider allow you to ride that stallion".

Her laughing continued, he could not stop her and so he returned back to his daydreaming under the sun. His thoughts drifted over to the dinner he had planned to make for the pair later on, though the biscuits and other fine desserts were already prepared.

"Dinner!" He howled, "Gandalf!"

Without another word he sprung from the hill and sprinted to his hole in the hill. Throwing himself at the door, he ran to the kitchen, whipping up biscuits, cookies and cakes like he'd never done before. Eryne was close behind him and quickly jumped in to help. Satisfied with the amount they'd made he popped them all in the oven and started to clean the mess. Still flustered and worn out, Bilbo explained his earlier outburst.

"A wizard! Well then, Master Baggins, I must change. I have time, do I not?"

"Plenty" He replied, although he was not too sure.

Eryne swept around with one quick movement and left for her bedroom. In her chambers, was a private bathroom and dressing room. Guests quarters were always considered a hugely important area of the house to Hobbits, more so than their own in some cases. Behind her bed, a rather exquisite bed as it happens, was the grandest of windows with soft, velvet curtains hung from them. Beyond the window, however, was Eryne's favourite feature of the room, the view. It was one which she could not grow accustomed to, no matter how many nights she spent sleeping in that dorm. It took her breath away. Rolling hills lay as far as the eye could see, each one cushioned with a new shade of grass as it grew further away. She loved that view, and instantly as she entered the room she became engulfed by it, worry of her appearance was what drew her away from its beauty though, as the sun began to lick at the rolling hill's peaks.

Eryne was never one to ready quickly when she had time to spare, each moment was spent perfecting the look, as Bilbo had come to know over the years. Although the time they had to ready before their guest arrived was limited, it put her in no danger to be ready late, so she did not rush, nor did she ponder. She had never dined with a wizard before, but she had an idea of what was appropriate. Eryne had known Bilbo for long enough to be able to keep her treasures in his home, and so from her wardrobe she pulled a long, soft gown made of the richest of silks there was to find in all of middle-earth.

After washing, Eryne parted her hair and let it rest upon her shoulders, like the dress, her curls came from her mother, though their colour derived from her father, they were a deep chestnut. As a traveller, she had little opportunity to wash, and so her hair was often unruly, but from years of dealing with her mane in the wild, she learnt to manage it. As she usually did, she used a silver hairpiece shaped like a branch to push the curls from her face. Just as she was doing so she heard a knock at the door, "Just in time". She thought, as she smiled, pleased at her success at arriving to dinner on time for once (she had a tendancy for being late). Nearly ready she grabbed a pair of silver pumps from the little selection she had, (it was that, a similar pair of black shoes, which would not do with her dress, or her hunting boots, obviously out of the question, though her feet were covered by the dress), straightened out her dress and her pin and left her chambers, only to be confronted by silence, with the exception of a soft humming.

As she passed down the hall with her dress trailing behind, Eryne noticed the huge pile of plates and dishes in the kitchen, all of which were clean. Slightly confused the maiden continued to make her way to the living room, presuming that was where the Hobbit and the Wizard were residing, she was not wrong of course, as you know, but she had missed a few minor details.

Eryne stepped into the lounge, where the fire she had observed the day before still roared, but she did not see a quiet reunion between a Wizard and a Hobbit. Eyes from all directions turned towards her, the gentle humming she had heard from outside her room had suddenly stopped. Nobody spoke. The ambers from the fire danced over the faces in front of her, she didn't count, but around a dozen men of the same height as she, were stood in that room. All of them, for what she could see, had beards that reached past their chest and were dirty and grim. By this time she had come to the conclusion that these men were dwarves, although what dwarves she did not know. She scanned the room, remarkably uncomfortable, and there, before the fireplace, stood one, one she couldn't help but give her attention to. He stood taller than the others and his energy intrigued her. She inspected his face; his strong jaw lines and his warm glow. He felt her inspection and it angered him, so that when she caught his bright blue eyes she did nothing but drop them again, uncomfortable and frightened.

"Bilbo, a word?".


	3. Old friends found

Rather than speaking outside the room the dwarves and the wizard occupied, Eryne led Bilbo to the bench outside, and as they sat there together, he had never felt so warm. Bilbo indulged her in all she had missed since the company had arrived, and though rather confused, she seemed quite interested, unlike Bilbo, who seemed more shocked.

"You best go back and tend to them" She whispered, and as if he had no choice in the matter, left her to the breeze of the night. She had not sat long alone before her thoughts began to explode with excitement, "An adventure, a quest! How long it has been since I have taken part in such things, and how dearly I have missed it! Oh but poor old Bilbo". Eryne knew he would never approve, the dangers of their last journey together had brought them closer together than ever before, but he would not risk their lives again for the sake of the promise of gold. No, but she would. Though Enidei was more than an acceptable partner on the road, she couldn't help but feel lonely sometimes. With these thoughts in mind, Eryne lifted herself from the bench and returned to the room with the hearty fire.

Remembering the feeling the dwarves had given her the first time she entered their gaze, she took a deep breath before returning to their presence. Just like the first time, the room fell silent, but this time, it only annoyed her.

"Why do you fall silent everytime I present myself? It is because I am a woman? Am I not worthy of the words you speak to each other? Or am I too frail and fragile to hear them? Come on, speak."

As she finished she caught a glimpse of the wizard in the corner, a grin lay upon his face, although it was not clear, surely the wizard did not wish to mock her? Knowing Gandalf, you will know this was not at all his intention, in fact, he was quite happy with the girl to speak to the mighty dwarves in such a manner. The company's eyes were still upon her, yet they did not speak until she prompted them again.

"I said speak" She demanded.

At this command a blonde dwarf, stood quite close to the wizard, stepped forward.

"Fili, at your service, my lady. We did not wish to insult you with our silence, just merely startled by the presence of a woman, you see, Master Baggins did not mention he had a wife".

"Nice to meet you, Fili, and I at yours, but I am not the wife of Master Baggins, though I am a friend of his. My name is Eryne Ailithia. Bilbo has told me your plans of adventure, and I do believe I could be of assistance to-". Before she could finish the dwarf with whom she had locked eyes stood forward, his hand raised.

"Enough, I do not mean to offend you, my Lady, but the roads to The Lonely Mountain are dangerous, they're not meant for the likes of you to be travelling upon".

Eryne was not given the chance to snap back a reply, for the wizard came forth. Gandalf stepped forward, and as his face appeared from the shadows Eryne's mood instantly changed.

"Gandalf! How long it is since our paths last crossed"

"Ah my dear Eryne, I was wondering how long it would be till you recognised me. There are only five wizards on these lands, you must have suspected, did you not?"

With that the pair walked away from the group and went outside to discuss their recent travels and how the roads had faired them. As they left, Eryne did not notice the glares that dwarf by the fire sent her way, nor did she care to.

Bilbo was left in the presence of the dwarves alone and though he was hiding in the shadows in the corner he did not avoid their attention.

"Where'd you meet her then, Baggins" called Kili, clearly interested for only one reason. Bilbo failed to satisfy his curiosity and would continue to do so until the night was over. A part of him knew that he could not avoid the tale forever though, for he knew, the moment Eryne heard of a quest, she would join, whether they wanted her or not, she was going, and on this particular occassion, Bilbo felt obliged to join her. One by one the dwarves settled down to rest, and so Bilbo sought out Gandalf to sign the papers Eryne had already probably signed, he was not mistaken, and by the time he was ready to sleep his head was spinning with the memories of his previous adventures and how this one would turn out.


	4. Deep blue eyes and Corsets

Eryne rose before the rest of the company, she knew she would need to wash thoroughly before leaving, including her hair, which in the morning, was even more so unruly than it usually was. After showering, she combed it through, careful not to miss a single knot, and just as she did the night before, she slid in the silver pin. After she'd thrown on her travelling outfit, the one she arrived to Bag End in, she prepared breakfast for the dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo, but as she ate her share she couldn't help but worry about Thorin Oakenshield's reaction to Gandalf, as he told him that it was no longer just a hobbit that was accompanying them, but a woman from the race of men too. As these worries plagued her mind, she finished her food and went to tend to Enidei, who was more than pleased to have some attention. Upon returning to the hole, Eryne found everyone, including Bilbo, enjoying a good, warm breakfast, all in the knowledge that it was going to be a while till they felt the same comfort again. It is here, reader, that you find the legends of Bilbo Baggins and The Dwarves seemed to have failed you again, for Bilbo Baggins was never late to start his adventure, he was right on time, just as he always was, and always would be, on time.

Eryne cleared up the dirty plates and dishes as the dwarves ate, which seemed to settle Bilbo a little, but when she came to Thorin, she stiffened, for she knew he cursed her, and her friend, for joining their quest, his quest. Thorin noticed her stiffen as she collected his plates, it amused him, and a smirk was painted over his face. No woman, or man for that matter, should feel comfortable intruding on Thorin Oakenshield and his work! She'll surely regret her decision soon anyway, no soul of The Shire is meant for the dangerous roads that lie beyond it. Satisfied with his conclusion, he stood up and left to tend to his own pony, causing Eryne to relax a little. Gandalf noticed her sudden change and when their eyes met Gandalf reassured her,

"Give him time, he'll soon come around".

Smiling in reply, she went back outside to put her packs onto Enidei's back. In the early days of her travelling it was difficult to carry things, Enidei would not ride with a saddle and Eryne was not to keen on making her do so either, for she preferred to ride without one. As time passed though, she developed a way in which she could carry things without discomforting Enidei or using a saddle, which helped, a lot. Worry returned to her mind when she walked towards the stable, she was hoping that Thorin, who was still yet to introduce himself to her, wouldn't be there, it was uncomfortable enough with the rest of the company, never mind without them. Luck, it seemed, was not on her side that morning, and she strode down the hill to the stable where Thorin too was putting his packs on his horse. She noticed as she scooted past him, that he did ride with a saddle, as did the rest of the band. That steadied her confidence a little,

"Maybe they'll respect me for that" She wondered.

Her thoughts returned to the awkward situation in the stables and Eryne, being polite, could not simply ignore Thorin as they stood there, so she wished him good morning as she lifted the bags up to Enidei. They were heavy, but she could cope, just as she always did. It took Thorin a few moments to reply, but when he did, he glanced up. It was the first time he got a proper look at the creature that would be travelling with him and his kin, and he was quite surprised at what he saw.

Her corset was pulled tight over her body, and though her chest was covered with a white shirt, he could see how it accentuated her features well, to say the least. His eyes scanned further down to her waist, tiny, it seemed, even with the padding of the corset, he imagined his hands would fit around her hips easily, should he ever hold her. As he continued to inspect, Eryne stood, motionless, almost doing the same.

She couldn't help but notice his heavy, large chest as it rose and fell with each breath, his huge hands, his strong chin, but, unlike the first time that she had seen this dwarf, she noticed his eyes. She didn't care that they scanned her, no, she was too invested in their colour, their depth. They shone a bright, yet deep blue, and though they appeared young and with many years ahead, she knew, somehow, that they had seen horrors that she could not begin to imagine, and suddenly with that, she felt a pang within her heart. How rude she had been to this poor man, how dare she involve herself in his business and while doing so treat him so rudely. She knew not of where he had been, or who he was, or what he had seen (or so she said), but in that moment, all the young maiden could feel for Thorin Oakenshield was sympathy.

Suddenly aware of what he was doing, Thorin removed his eyes from the woman's body and returned them to hers. He barely had time to notice, for when he saw she turned away, but in her face he saw apology and sorrow, what for, he did not know, nor did he have chance to find out, for when she turned the company of dwarves piled into the stable, followed by Bilbo and Gandalf. This spooked Enidei a little, so Eryne soothed her until she settled.

Thorin noticed her soothing the horse, as he spoke to his kin, his eyes would take the occasional glance to watch her, it was soft, calming, something he had not witnessed since Smaug had come and took his home. He had grown to live without it, forgot it in fact, yet when he heard her tranquil tones, he could not remove himself from it, he had long forgotten what it was like when arguing, shooting and jeering were not the only main ways of interaction, when men were not his only companions, when women brought a gentle touch to his turbulent, chaotic life.


	5. Rough words and rougher nights

**Notes: Thankyou for the reviews guys it means a lot with this being my first fanfic, this next chapter will bring back more of the Thorin we know from the books as opposed to the fanfics, I didn't want to drift to far from his hardness, but I felt I needed to get across how I wanted Thorin to see Eryne, besides, he hasn't been with women for a while, surely he can look?**

It didn't take long for the band of dwarves, Gandalf, Bilbo and Eryne to set off on their travels. Used to the quick pace at which they usually travelled, Enidei, as soon as they got into the open hills of the Shire, sprung into a gallop with her rider, that was enjoying the outburst but knew she must slow her steed. She returned to them chuckling to herself and slapping her horse's neck appreciatively. They trotted past Thorin and the rest of the dwarves to the back of the train, where Bilbo, struggling with his allergy and nerves, smiled at her anxiously.

"Whats the matter, old friend" Eryne questioned merrily as they came up alongside Bilbo's pony. Bilbo's voice dropped to a murmur,

"I don't think I will be able to endure this, Eryne. These dwarves smell foul already and we have barely even begun". At this remark Eryne could not hold back her laughter, and nor could Bilbo or Gandalf for the matter, who had overheard the pairs whisperings. The jokes between the three continued for the remainder of the day, whether they be poking fun at the dwarves or reminiscing about their previous journeys.

At the front of the train of ponies and horses, Thorin was becoming tired of the light-heartedness of the newcomers. "Do they not know the importance of this quest?" He was mumbling under his breath, but it was loud enough for the dwarf beside him to summon up a reply. "They mean no harm, Thorin. T'is in their nature to be so cheerful". Balin pulled back his pony at this point and left his leader to dwell upon his thoughts, Thorin was not one to be easily persuaded, and here would be no exception.

They spent many more hours upon their steeds that day, they did not stop for lunch, to Bilbo's dismay, which he wrongly aired. Thorin silenced him in annoyance and Bilbo sunk back into his saddle without another word or grumble. This however, did not compare in the slightest to his later outburst, at which he directed towards Eryne. They were nearing rougher lands, and were at the edge of the flatter ones, the sun was setting and soon they would need to dismount and set up camp.

"Perhaps we ought to dismount here, Thorin, and set up camp". She called, still at the back of the company with Bilbo, although Gandalf had left them to engage in conversation with Ori a good few hours before.

"No, we continue until I feel we must stop, I will not waste a few hours here when we could be moving". His reply was stern and formal, cold almost.

"Thorin, I do believe if we go any further that the lands will turn rough and our nights rest will be most uncomfortable. I highly recommend we stop now for the sake of your entire company and their ponies".

"Quiet!" Thorin beckoned "We will not stop here unless I say so, I do not care who you are, hobbit, or where you have been, I am Thorin Oakenshield, and this is my quest, if you do not wish to follow me and my orders you can form your own company, and quest for that matter, of which you will be able to fully comprehend the importance!".

Eryne had a short temper and as it seemed, so did this dwarf king, but she had learnt to control it with age and experience, and though she wished dearly to insult Thorin using every curse she could conjure from the recesses of her mind, she instead replied with

"I am no more Hobbit than you are Elf, Oakenshield, your ignorance will be your downfall".

With this she dropped back into silence and offered no further suggestions. She did not speak to anyone, even Bilbo, until they settled down for the night, upon the rougher terrain, where she heard the grumbles and complaints from several dwarves around her. Satisfied with herself, she let out a soft laugh, quiet enough for nobody to hear, and dropped down into a deep sleep under the stars.


	6. Ponies and Trolls and Cuddling, Oh my!

**Notes. I do realise that my chapters are rather short, even the longer ones of my story so far, and so from now I will try to make them longer. I also understand that my writing style may mean that this is difficult and almost tiresome to read, but I appreciate your reviews and will try to be interesting as possible. Also I know that i'm updating pretty quickly, which i'm not sure is a good thing, but I do have quite a lot of free time on my hands. Thanks for the reviews and follows, I really appreciate it.**

The sun had risen strong on the second day of their journey, but it wasn't long before the weather took a turn for the worse. After hearing his kin grumble and moan for far too long, Throrin reminded them that there was no use complaining,

"Nobody lives in these parts, men. Your moaning is pointless, whether you choose to accept it or not, there are no means of shelter and warmth from this point onwards."

With this, their moaning lessened, although it seemed all of them had something to say at least once more that day, all except Eryne that is, who had refused to talk since the day before. Bilbo did not expect her to complain about the drizzle, she once told him how she loved the rain. It was refreshingly clean and new. She found it especially calming at night when its gentle patter or steady beats would fill the silence, it made her feel less alone. She liked the way it reflected so many colours, and if you were lucky, it splashed those colours in the sky, for all to see. She'd told him how each droplet, wherever it landed, were like crystals, tiny diamonds, too delicate to touch, but enchanting to look at. He'd listened when she told him how it was a convenience for it to rain, as she could tame her curls without having to find a stream and spend hours combing it through, and that she liked the way Enidei would shake the moisture from her neck and face, but what his dear friend liked the most about the rain, was the way it rolled gently down her face, it was comforting and although the rain was cold, it felt warm, like an embrace. All of these things he remembered everytime it rained, whether he was with her or not, and so in her silence, he understood she was content, happy, and this settled him.

When it came for them to build their camp for the night, Eryne had still not spoken, nor had her horse bolted when they came to any open fields, Thorin's demeanour had seemed to have worked. "Good" he thought to himself, happy for controlling the newcomers yet again, especially the girl. He didn't like the way she thought she could speak to him with so little respect, she should be kissing his boots not giving him orders. The rain had still not stopped, and building a fire was futile. The ponies were becoming restless too, thunder had began to roar in the clouds and it was growing louder with every clap. Eryne thought she should soothe them, but she did not, it would only anger the dwarf king, so instead she sat quietly, knowing that any minute, as the thunder grew louder, a pony would bolt, and when it did, she was ready.

The pony sprang from its stance, whinnying in distress, Eryne was fast on its tail. Careful not to spook the pony further, she kept her distance to the side, but there was a river fast approaching, and aware that they could lose a pony if she didn't act, Eryne closed in on it. With one swift leap, she jumped onto the pony's back and pulled on the reins. "Woah" She spoke, being as gentle as she possibly could. She couldn't stop the pony from entering the stream, which had turned out to be more like a river, but she did prevent it from straying too far in and drowning in the currents. Relieved a little, she turned the pony and led it back to the camp, unaware all of the packs had been lost in the panic and that she was drenched from the waist down.

It didn't take her long to start shivering, and she tied the pony up to one of the trees surrounding the camp, teeth chattering, before trying to dry it best she could with her cape, which was also rather wet. She then went on to tie up the rest of the ponies, careful to use the right knots so that if one chose to bolt again, it wouldn't be injured.

Suddenly aware of her exhaustion and cold state, she collapsed against one of the unoccupied trees.

"We need fire" She whispered.

"We cannot make one, the floor is too damp" Thorin answered, "and we have lost all of the food".

Eryne suddenly realised her mistake and sunk even deeper into her misery. Bilbo had never seen his friend this way before, but he felt the overwhelming need to comfort her, and cover her with his coat. Just as he was about to do so, Kili did the same, and crept over to her as though not to disturb her thoughts. Carefully he lay the coat over her and instantly she felt its warmth radiate into her, she lifted her eyes and gave a thankful smile. "At least one of them is polite" She thought. She imagined Kili would leave her like that, content with a new found warmth and comfort, but he did not. Instead he sat next to her.

Kili was nervous, despite his usual confidence. There was something about this girl he didn't quite understand, he had never seen it in a woman before, it intrigued him. He debated his next actions, but she needed warmth or she would become ill and so cautiously he wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her near, confused when she didn't resist.

Desperate for more warmth, Eryne didn't resist, though she was cautious when she nuzzled her head into his chest. Yes, she needed warmth, but more so she needed comfort, never had she felt so alone with a group of people, even with Gandalf and Bilbo at her side. Kili had spoken to her rarely, but when he did, he was kind, desperate to make her laugh, as he was with everyone, so when he came to her, she was comfortable enough to accept the offer, inappropriate as it may have seemed.

Kili was surprised when she buried her head into his chest, they were in darkness, but he knew the others saw. Did she not care? Still, he pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face into her hair, wet as it was. It took a while for them to relax completely into the embrace. Their breathing in unison. Against her ear she could feel the steady rhythm of his chest.

Kili was about to fall to sleep when he realised how wet her clothes were. "She'll never warm like this".

"I'm going to try and dry your clothes" he whispered into her hair. "Take of your boots and leggings".

"But-", he hushed, interrupting her.

"My coat will cover you, now do as I say".

Eryne did not like this, but she knew he was right, she would never dry nor warm sat on the forest floor in drenched clothing. Slowly, she pulled off her boots, which he took, one by one, and placed them upside down next to her. As he did so, she peeled off her leggings, careful to keep the over-sized coat covering her body, and passed them to him. She wasn't sure how he planned on drying her clothes on a wet night in the forest with no fire, nor did she know that he had no plan either, but she did not deny him his offer, if he wished to try and help, so be it. She appreciated the kind gesture anyway. As she was about to cuddle back up into the coat and settle down she heard Balin call,

"There's a light over there!".

From what she had gathered he was their usual look-out and was one of the oldest of their company. It was quickly decided that they would go to inspect the light, and that Eryne would stay behind to mind the ponies. She did not argue with this, annoyed as she was, for exhaustion had begun to set in as soon as she sat by the tree's trunk, yet still, she was frustrated, she knew this was not the reasoning that Thorin Oakenshield was using, no matter what he said.

"The girl stays here" He said, gazing over towards the light in the distance. "Tend to the ponies, you are too tired to follow", he continued, still refusing to look in her direction.

During this time Kili had packed up her clothes into his bag, hopeful he would find a way to start drying the clothes before they returned for her. From what happens next, you may have guessed that Kili did find a way to dry off the woman's clothes, albeit quite a dangerous method, as he rotated over a troll-sized fire, strapped to his friends and giant log. Admittedly, he wasn't thinking about the benefits of him being slowly cooked at the time, but afterwards, he did notice them.

After the episode, when Gandalf had saved them, Kili quickly whipped the garments from his bag and lay them round the fire, with the open end of the boots pointing towards it, before he ran off to inspect the troll hoard with the others. By the time he had come back and the pillaging was done, the clothes were dry and warm, so when they returned to collect the ponies and begin their journey again, he was rather proud with himself, though, he fought hard to keep it hidden.

Eryne had felt quite peaceful when the dwarves and the hobbit set off to investigate the light, and they had been gone long enough for her to take advantage of the peace. It felt like a time ago since she had spent a night alone in the forest, and although her loneliness was one of the reasons for her joining the quest, she seemed to miss it that night, so it didn't take her long to fall into a deep sleep.

Upon their reappearance, Kili saw Eryne was sleeping and, careful not to wake her, he led away Enidei (who had come to lay beside her after they'd left) and readied her packs. What Kili or the rest of the company did not know was, shortly after they had left her with the ponies and her stallion, Eryne had wandered into the woods to hunt back the food she had lost when chasing the startled pony. Not only had she done this, but she had caught twice as much game as they'd lost, she guessed. The girl had crept through the woods, without boots or leggings, with goosebumps prancing along her bare skin and exhaustion dragging down her body, and had provided them with meat, which they would need desperately soon.

Kili eventually had to wake Eryne, and he returned her clothes, dry and warm. She thanked him before dressing under his coat, which she returned when she had done so. The woman announced her game a few moments before the company were about to mount their steed. She simply pulled them from her packs which won her the dwarves' attention immediately, while the wizard's and the hobbit's followed, held her game for them to see and stated simply,

"I hunted when you left, but I need to spread the load, Enidei is strong but cannot carry this weight".

Eryne did not notice how much game she had caught the night before, but as she pulled each animal from her bag, she suddenly became aware of how lost she had got in the act.

"You must have spent hours, lass". Bofur seemed shocked as she handed him his second squirrel. When she was done spreading the load everyone had an animal each, in total she'd hunted 17 animals; 11 were squirrels, 4 were rabbits and 2 were fox. She herself carried one of the foxes and a squirrel while she gave Thorin the other fox, he grunted in approval and when she mounted Enidei, Gandalf spoke,

"Progress, my dear. T'is a tedious process with dwarves".

She nodded in reply and their third day of the quest began.


	7. Acceptance and Apologies

**I'm quite happy with this chapter, not because of its content or quality but because of what I thought about while writing it. I had to take a few breaks from this one because I couldn't concentrate (never done that before?), but it seems it may have helped as i've decided upon some of the major points in my plot. Thanks again for the reviews, favs and follows.**

**I'm also learning slowly to review my work more thoroughly before I post, because i'm finding a lot of errors (Sorry :s) and I'd like to improve the quality of the chapters before I post them (I'm not too happy with the last six).**

The next few days involved nothing of interest, the weather improved, which seemed to lighten their moods. Gandalf had told her of Thorin's past. She acted innocently, like she did not know of how his home had been ripped away from him, how an orc had murdered his grandfather and in doing so taken his father from him too. He was a young dwarf with the weight of his people resting upon his shoulders, she knew she could not cope with the same pressure and she admired Thorin for it, but believed nobody should carry such a weight. She also knew of how the elves had never helped his people as they burnt in Smaug's flames, she understood Thorin's anger towards them.

These things she knew, this knowledge she possessed, could not be expressed, for if she revealed it, she'd reveal her feelings for the day. It was no secret that a dragon had claimed the Lonely Mountain, or Thror was to blame, but Eryne knew more than just facts and legends. She knew of the emotions that came with it. She knew what such a sight looked like, how it felt to have people taken from her, the heat on her skin, the roaring flames as they licked at building tops. Eryne knew of how such a disaster could tear at the heart, so she could not reveal her knowledge, for she could not hide the emotions attached to it. With this in mind, Eryne remained naive as Gandalf told her the tale, pretending to know little more than the usual traveller would.

She recognised the paths they were taking, and knew where Gandalf was leading them, though attempted to make no mention of it. They could never persuade Thorin to visit the elves to seek their help, but Eryne had seen their map, and the ancient dwarvish it held. She knew of only one who could still read such scripts, so their trip to Rivendell was necessary.

Bilbo had failed to speak to Eryne much since the first day of their journey, she seemed deep in thought and he did not want to disturb her. Despite this, he pulled back his pony and waited till they were alongside each other, noticing she looked rather troubled. He pondered for a few moments over how he would word his question, before she interrupted his thoughts,

"Nothing is wrong, friend. I am quite content as a matter of fact, but you seem to be avoiding me of late, why?"

"You seemed deep in thought, Eryne. I didn't want to disturb that."

With this she nodded, and just as they did when she arrived to his home, they fell back into silence. Bilbo admired the way she rode, she took pride in it. Her back never slouched nor did her chin ever drop, it was elegant yet strong and bold, a statement of her character.

Eryne had been deep in thought for the most of their journey, Bilbo Baggins was not mistaken there. She had thought of the horrors their leader had suffered through. She thought of the sorrow she felt for him, and her anger towards his cruelness. She thought of Bilbo and of how much attention he paid to her. She thought of Kili, their warm embrace, his kind gestures and whether they were just that, but somehow, no matter where her thoughts wandered, they seemed to find their way back to the man that rode in front of all of them. This annoyed her, she knew he felt she was ignorant to the importance of their journey and for some peculiar reason, this tugged at her heart.

It didn't take long for Bilbo to leave Eryne to her silence and thoughts again, but it seemed as soon as he pulled away, Kili dropped back. He had been a little ahead of the pair but had apparently been paying more attention than she had, for she didn't notice Bilbo had gone until Kili tugged at her arm.

"Anyone in their?" He chuckled.

"Just about" She smirked back.

"You know something we don't, I can see it in your eyes, you look ahead, like you know the roads we travel on well enough to pay no attention to them".

She liked that he could see that, though she had no idea how he'd done it.

"You have a keen eye".

It was all she could summon at the moment and Kili thought it quite blunt, but a genuine smile had crept onto her face and that pleased him enough.

"I would never have guessed you a traveller when we first saw you, but now, I see it is where you call home. I think my uncle has come to admit that you understand us more than he previously thought"

"I should think so!" Eryne chirped and Kili smiled at her animation. They went on like this for the next hour talking aimlessly, yet happily. She told him tales of her travels when he asked, and when she'd finished he begged for another, transfixed by the woman and her adventures. She seemed strong, he liked that, but he couldn't help thinking she was lonely by the way she told the tales, as if it were just her, her horse and the forest. He pushed these thoughts aside as much as he could, for they were not good ones. They laughed merrily when she told him of the trouble Enidei had given her when she had first tried to train her, and sat in admiration when she told him how she'd fought orcs for the first time, barely able to weild her sword after an injury from a fall. Kili's eyes watched her intently for hours as her stories went on, and their steed plodded forwards, drawing nearer to Rivendell, when suddenly he interrupted her.

"Why does he plague your mind, Eryne?" She couldn't ask him to clarify before he continued.

"Your eyes watch him, though you speak to me and you concentrate, your eyes find their way back to him. You may not be thinking of him but he does not leave your mind. Why?". She sighed in response, she knew of whom he was speaking, Thorin. She hated the fact that he hated her and had little or no respect for her, she was not used to such things, but her mind told her it was something different, something she felt when they first spoke in the stables, the way she was captivated by his heavy chest and its slow movements, his bright blue eyes, his perfectly carved jaw and his huge, strong hands, it made her stomach burn, but she didn't understand why, and it intrigued her. Eventually she managed a simple answer.

"He does not accept me, and so I feel obliged to gain his acceptance". Like Gandalf's words on the matter, Kili's offered little help.

"In time, my dear. In time."

Tired of hearing such things, Eryne rolled her eyes and kicked on her stallion to meet with Bilbo, who surely could've saved her from their vagueness. She reached him, but instead of pulling back on her reins, she let her stallion trot on until she was alongside the man himself, Thorin Oakenshield, who turned his head in question.

"Yes?"

His voice was stern, but she did not let that phase her, if she was going to get to the bottom of his coldness, now was her chance. So she brushed it aside and answered his question.

"Thorin Oakenshield, I would like to know why you are so cold towards me, yet I have failed to do you, or your company, wrong on this quest so far".

He smirked at this,

"Would you now, my lady?"

This she read as a warning to her, but she refused to leave without an answer.

"T'is why I asked"

"Very well. I am cold to you for I feel you do not understand what this quest means to us. You have come along on your own terms, disrespected my authority, questioned my orders, insulted me and my kin before my men and you ride with us on our quest expecting gold when we are done. Tell me, why do you come on this quest? What do you offer us?".

This was all the cue Eryne needed, for she had a lot to offer, and had been waiting for a chance to share it.

"Thorin Oakenshield, are you able to craft a weapon if you are without one in the middle of the forest or out on open plains? The bow I carry, king, was crafted by myself in the middle of a forest with nothing but stone and wood. It has come to be one of the best weapons I have ever carried, and I assure you I have carried many in my time. I can also fight, probably as well as any of your men, including yourself, dare I say it, and though I am small for a maiden, I am strong. May I also add that I carry more knowledge of the wild and surviving in it than you may know, for I have spent my entire adult life doing so. In addition to this, it had occurred to me that your knowledge of your ponies is rather limited, for none of you seemed to realise that one would bolt in the thunderstorm we experienced. I did, though I did nothing for I felt it would be out of place, but that was why I was so quick to catch the pony when it did, although I did lose the packs. This is all I feel I can offer to your company and your quest, and I understand if you feel I am not valuble enough to be worthy of a share in your gold, but if so, tell me now, king under the mountain, so I can return to my usual path and return to my friends in doing so. Do not waste my time.".

She waited in anticipation at this, satisfied with her answer. She didn't move when his reply to her was absent, she knew he wished her away from his presence, so he would answer eventually to make her leave, whether it be to the back of the train or back to The Shire. Anxious as she was for his reply, she remained patient until he spoke.

"You may stay, Eryne. The wizard did not inform me of your qualities. I extend to you my apologies". As surprised and happy as she was, Eryne remained collected.

"Thank you" she whispered, careful not to flaunt his defeat to the rest of the company. He noticed this, and took the time to appreciate it.


	8. Tucked and Locked In

**Notes: Guys...FLUFF. I think the whole Thorin/OC thing isn't going to work out, maybe you'll agree when you've read this. Urgh I'm excited!**

The company took no longer than a day or so more until they arrived at Rivendell and they followed the zig-zag path down into the hidden valley. They embraced the warmth of it as they sunk lower, especially Bilbo, who had been aching for the comfort of his home ever since they left many mornings about for their quest. A common visitor of the elves, Eryne was not surprised when the sounds of song sprang from the trees, welcoming the dwarves and their king. It was but one of the many things she loved about her visits.

When they were finally welcomed into the valley, both Gandalf and the maiden greeted their friend, Lord Elrond, who led the company to where they would dine together. Although grateful for the elves' offerings of food, the dwarves, being dwarves, found no shame in airing their complaints about it, continuously questioning the lack of meat and, in Ori's case, chips. This, for Gandalf and Eryne, was most unpleasant, and, less-tolerable of their manners than the wizard had come to be, she finished her food quickly and made herself scarce in hope of bathing alone.

In search of a towel she could use, Eryne swept through the halls on several floors in a frantic search, though she could not find the room that would hold such things for guests. Irritated, she headed down towards the pool, located at the far side of the settlement. The day was far gone and from the balcony above the water, Eryne could see the moon bouncing from its rippling surface. She headed down the closest stairs, running her fingers along the delicate carvings and patterns on the rails, this being her first time in this particular wing, she would have liked to have admired the paintings and sculptures upon the walls and learnt about their meaning and history, but aware of how much time she had spent searching for a towel or robe, she resisted, and pushed open the doors to the balcony outside. Eryne stepped hastily onto the open platform and, ignoring the wind biting at her skin, began to undress. She had reached the far corner of the pool by the time she was completely bare, so, still rushing, she dropped the bundle of clothes and carefully immersed herself into the depths.

Being warmed from the halls of Rivendell and its food, her body was not numb to the cold, although she understood it could have been much worse. The pool was positioned to receive as much of the sun's rays as possible, and, since it was Summer, it had been warmed gradually throughout the day. Luckily, Eryne had remembered to take her soaps from her pack the previous night and had put them in the pockets of her leggings, knowing, in the desperate desire to bathe and eat, she would for forget them when they arrived. The maiden was right, annoyance swept over her as she waded back to her clothes, ready to dress, before she remembered her actions and pulled the various soaps from the pockets. All of her soaps smelt divine in Eryne's opinion, so she changed them regularly to avoid becoming accustomed to their scents. She had bought them for the first time years ago, in a town to the south of Bree, and now visited it regularly to buy the same soaps. The traveller had five in total. One of which was a white bar inspired by the smell of Convallaria, a tough flower yet delicate in appearance that held the softest of fragrances, or so her father had once told her. The second was inspired by the strong smell of the Four 'o clock flower. The third smelt of Jasmine and the fourth reminded her of the sweet smell of watermelons. The fifth, one she'd recently bought, was Violet scented. Short for time, Eryne grabbed the "four 'o clock" soap and worked it into her thick locks, who were in dire need of attention. It took but a few moments for her to smell the flowers before it overwhelmed her completely. Its boldness stated elegance with strength, power with grace. It was a woman's perfume, that was without question. She let the liquids and bubbles work into her hair as she moved on to work on her body. Just as she was about to indulge herself further in the silk-like moisture the soap was becoming, she heard the door to the balcony swinging open.

Dwarves piled onto the opening and quickly her relaxing bath had turned into a chaotic mess. They were quarrelling over something as they undressed, pointing fingers and raising voices. Too involved in their argument, they didn't notice her presence, but before they did, Eryne turned her back so she was facing the moonlight. She was uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. The main reason that she had finished her meal so quickly was so she could bathe alone, without having to worry about being seen naked. Anxious to leave and dress again, Eryne massaged the soap deep into her skin, starting with her neck. Up until this point she had paid little attention to what the dwarves were saying. That was until she heard his voice silence them,

"Oh stop your bickering, t'is late and you're being far too loud", Thorin ordered.

Eryne felt a tingle float down her spine, and she suddenly felt her body succumb to the nerves as they exploded within her. She sunk down into the water, hiding her back from view, she couldn't explain this, for it was only her back, but it made her feel less bare and vulnerable until she worked up the strength to stand and continue. More rigid, she forced herself to wash and moved down to clean her chest. Thorin, less absorbed in the debate going on around him, had noticed their female companion as soon as she had turned around to hide herself from view. As he undressed his eyes would not move from her. Her hips, now, bare and without clothing, seemed even smaller now. Her shoulder blades were tight and her muscles were straining. She was nervous. Her skin, so tanned, reflected the moonlight beautifully at night, but now, with water clinging to her skin, it made her shimmer. His eyes worked their way over her tiny body and he couldn't help but wonder how she carried so much strength within her. He saw the curvature of her breasts and was admiring them as Kili interrupted him.

Kili too had noticed Eryne as she turned her back to them, but unlike Thorin, he sympathised with her, disliking that she felt uncomfortable, he watched his uncle, distant too from his kin. He stood waiting for him to stop inspecting her like she was a piece of meat as opposed to a friend, a companion. He even wet his lips slightly with his tongue, desperate to save her from his scrutiny, Kili approached his uncle.

"Uncle, I don't think the elves or Eryne will appreciate this commotion at such a late hour".

In response, Thorin demanded their silence as he slipped into the cool water. It wasn't until the dwarves had begun to wash that they too noticed the girl at the edge of the pool. Kili was still aware of how uncomfortable she looked, her movements were rigid and stiff and her muscles were tense as she washed. He could smell hints of the soap she was using in the air around them and wondered where she had found something so exotic. The boy tried not to pay too much attention to the girl, he thought it quite brusque and inconsiderate to do so, but he did notice her struggle when she was ready to leave. She kept glancing towards her clothes and then checking over her shoulder. He knew she was worried about them watching her dress, he didn't want her to worry. He made the decision to help her.

Kili was fidgety when he spoke to her, he twisted his fingers around one another, tugged his hair, itched his chest. "He's as nervous as I" thought Eryne.

"I don't have a towel, but you can wear my tunic, that way you won't spend long getting dressed in front of everyone".

She smiled at his suggestion, once again he had read her thoughts without speaking.

"But what will you wear"

"I have my briefs with me"

She desperately wanted to accept his offer, it would shorten her time dressing dramatically. He saw the answer over her face and replied,

"I'll bring them over, but don't worry, I'll leave you once i've brought them". Why was he being so considerate? How could he possibly know what she was thinking as she thought it? It was something she'd never come across before, someone who completely understood her. "And I've spoken to him twice now", she thought.

It took him a few moments for him to bring the tunic and return back to his kin, as soon as he did so she pulled her body from the pool and swiped for the clothing. Carefully not to damage it, she put it on quickly but with haste. It clung to her body.

"Great, I may as well be wearing nothing", her voice muffled. Crossing her arms to cover her breasts and carry her own clothes, she scuttled towards the doors. She shot a grateful glance towards Kili before she leant into the wooden doors and disappeared into the halls.

Kili took care not to watch Eryne as she left, but he did see her thank him as she did. He was happy that he had helped her, men had more respect for their women than dwarves did, but he preferred it that way, which is why he'd winced when he saw how his uncle had leered at Eryne in the pool. He wanted to apologise for it, but she may not have even noticed, he promised himself he'd find out later when he went to retrieve his tunic from her room.

It was around forty minutes until Kili did this, after going back to his chambers to dress and asking random elves where Miss Ailithia's room was located. When he finally reached the corridor where her room was, he noticed that at the far end there was someone slouched beside their door. Thinking someone had been hurt he ran quickly to the slouched figure, who soon became curled-up figure with long wet locks and wearing a tunic. Upon his realisation Kili ran even faster to reach the girl, and he instantly checked for any signs of injury. She was breathing.

"Eryne!" Kili whispered, careful not to startle her. She was sleeping.

"Eryne!", he repeated, a little louder the second time.

This roused her and she opened her eyes to be met with Kili's. The corners of his mouth twitched at the sight of her drowsiness. She saw him smirking and scowled back playfully.

"Why are you sleeping in the doorway", he snickered, barely holding back his laughter.

"They gave me keys, but were too busy to find the right one, they said I have to find it and then bring the rest back, as you can see I failed"

"You didn't ask for help?"

"Nope, instead I cried and then fell asleep, I've had a long day". She sighed, pretending to feel sorry for herself.

He smiled further at this, she was poking fun at how pitiful she felt she had been. He didn't usually see the vulnerable side to her, but it seemed that her tiredness had exposed it. He lifted the keys from her hands, there were only 10. He couldn't help smiling again in affection, her fatigue had overcome her and she had become useless in the process, it anything he thought it rather cute. Kili spent but a few moments testing the keys before he found the right one, and leaving it in the door, he scooped her from the doorway and carried her to the bed. The door swung shut behind them.

Kili laid the maiden softly down on the bed, but sat her up after he did so, her hair was wet, and if she wet the pillow she would surely fall ill. Still a little drowsy, she fell back against the headboard loudly, but aired no complaints, so Kili didn't stop searching the room for a towel. He found one hidden away at the back of a cupboard and pulled it from its slumber.

"Do you brush it before it dries, pumpkin" He spoke softly.

"Pumpkin". She mumbled back, soft enough for him not to hear.

He'd seen a comb at the side of her bed and presumed it a gift from Lord Elrond. She nodded. He picked up the brush, and pulled it through her hair gently, untangling the knots one by one. It took him a while, but at least he didn't hurt her. Once finished the young prince took her hair between the towel and rubbed. He then rubbed her head her take the moisture away from her scalp so she wouldn't get cold as she slept on it. He was ever so delicate with her, and she didn't understand why. He knew she was a strong, capable woman, yet he was mothering her like a girl. Eryne made no complaints though, it had been a while since she'd been taken care of and she wasn't going to stop him now.

Kili went on to wrap her hair up into the towel and pulled her night clothes from an old wooden chest (the elves had apparently arranged her packs after they'd arrived). He looked up at the woman from the edge of the bed, ready to bid her goodnight, when he saw he eyes were flickering shut. Knowing he had a spare tunic, he didn't urge her to change, but instead tucked her under the sheets. Kili made way for the door, ready to sleep himself. He turned the knob to the right and it span completely, but when he went to pull, the door didn't move.

He was locked in.


	9. Wrongful Assumptions

**Notes: I really do hope you're enjoying my story, I've written this chapter out in my notepad before I typed it up so hopefully there will be less errors, and I also may have written differently. I really appreciate the reviews, follows and favs and would love it you kept on reviewing, I don't know if people are liking it or not :s. Thanks for the help to everyone that's given me some and thanks for bothering to read it. Enjoy. **

Kili was a young dwarf compared to his companions, as was his brother, Fili. He was a cheerful, boisterous and rather foolish character, to add to his youth, and always a pleasure to be with. In the days before the quest for Erebor, he and his brother would travel from place to place in search of work with other dwarves of the same age. As you can imagine, dear reader, their means of passing time were not always innocent, to say the least. Drinking, gambling and the occasional tussle were all but absent in their days together, as were the women. The other dwarves, in the company of Fili and Kili, would cheer and chant at the sight of a brothel, pleased with the sudden promise of relief and pleasure, but the brothers would not. Instead they turned away, both with disgust in their hearts and pain on their faces. Their mother had been a good, respectable lady. She taught them to do anything but disrespect a woman, no matter what her race, job, family or class. It was a rule they lived by, and always would. This is why Kili could not dignify his kin's accusations the following morning with a response. However, before we get into this, let me continue where we left off...

He stood there for no less than an hour trying to ply the door open, but it took him no longer to give up. The room had gotten cold since his realisation and he longed for the warmth and comfort of his bed in their dorm, (the dwarves and the hobbit were allocated one large room while Gandalf received a similar treatment to Eryne). Shivering, he crept around the room, hunting for blankets. It did not take him long for him not to find one, but plenty. As quietly as his body would allow, he laid down a blanket on the floor, just beneath the window, before pulling the thicker one over him and wrapping himself in its heat. The quilts managed to banish the longing he felt for his bed so quickly that he was almost asleep when his head came to rest on the covered floor.

The morning came and Eryne woke with the summer's rays beating through the window. Brushing her hair from her face and the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and stretched. Still quite drowsy, it was a few moments before the maiden remembered the events from the night and her cheeks flooded red at the thought. How pathetic must she have looked to her companion, nobody on any quest had the right to act so hopelessly!

"Urgh!" She groaned into her pillow as she sank back into it, hiding her shame. When she did so a faint chuckle came from the next room, or what she knew as her dressing room. It startled her at first, causing her to forget her worries, but they soon poured back into her. The chuckle of course, was Kili's who then drifted in to greet her.

"Good-" He yawned, stretching his arms, "morning"

It was her turn to laugh now, although it was short-lived and quickly she was unnerved by his presence.

"Why are you here?" She questioned with her brows raised quizzically. She wasn't sure if she wanted an answer but she sat up, expecting one.

"After I tucked you in-"

Her cheeks flushed red again, and her wide eyes abruptly dropped to the sheets. He saw her embarrassment, but given the situation, realised it would only worsen her mood to comfort her. He continued before she noticed his pause,

"I tried to leave and go to bed, but I'd left the keys in the door and it was jammed. I slept on the floor after I found your stockpile of blankets."

His eyes glinted a little, toying with her. There he was again, trying to make her laugh. She did not mistake this for special treatment, it was in his nature, but she appreciated it immensely all the same. Eryne's heart softened a little, on her travels she had met many dwarves, none of which had treated her well, so she could only assume Kili's intentions for being in her room were similar. It was refreshing to be so dramatically wrong, though she felt guilty for doubting him. He was becoming a dear friend, he looked after her when others were too rude or scared to, could read her thoughts and emotions without her saying a word, and here he was again, reassuring her that it was ok to be cared for once in a while, through something as subtle as a glint in his eye. She had never found comfort like this in Bilbo, she understood it was difficult for him to do so.

"You're a strong, independent woman", he'd told her. "Something most men are afraid of. It takes a great sum of bravery to try and win over your type, miss, or a great deal of foolishness!".

It seemed Bilbo was included in the majority he called 'most'. By this, of course, Bilbo meant it took a great man to be able to deal with 'her type'. It was difficult to imagine that someone so strong needed comfort and support, but they did, and only the most compassionate of people would ever see it, never mind offer it.

Drowning in these thoughts, she was dragged to the surface spluttering and dazed by Kili's words.

"Your maid came to dress you earlier, but she left when I emerged from the dressing room. She told me she'd bring breakfast. I think she was quite startled by the presence of such a handsome dwarf actually, she couldn't take her eyes off me" He joked, flicking his hair from his shoulder.

Eryne snorted at this, but the corners of her mouth couldn't resist turning upwards. She pulled herself from under the sheets and dragged her body away to change. The traveller only had time to throw on her undergarments and shirt before their breakfast arrived, so, rather than making the young dwarf wait, (he was hungry after not eating much of the meal the elves had prepared), she pulled on a silk robe, another gift from their host, and tied it tightly at the waist.

Kili set the tray of food out on the bed since there was nowhere else to sit. He perched himself on one side of the tray, legs crossed, facing the dressing room. There was a door to the room, so he was not intruding. It was only a few seconds after the elf came till Eryne opened that door, but the even fewer that followed felt like a lifetime to him.

He noticed she'd brushed her hair through slightly. From washing it in the pool it fell delicately onto her shoulders in loose, deep chestnut, rolling curls. The light from the window, still glowing strong, made her eyes shine a rich gold as they looked straight at him. Her skin was deep and more tanned, as if all it knew were sunlight and blaring heat. She wore a pure white, silk robe that floated from her shoulders to her ankles. It caressed the sensitive skin around her neck before falling down onto her arms and the rest of her body, interrupted only by the tie at her waist. The robe rippled around her with every slight movement of her muscles, as if she were swimming in its fabrics. He looked back to her face to notice for the first time, the faintest of freckles dotted on her cheeks and nose, making her eyes seem even deeper. She looked effortlessly stunning, and he couldn't stop basking in her glow, but she was more than effortless or stunning, she was so much more as she stood there innocently, not knowing a single word of his thoughts.

She was beautiful.

Eryne did not see Kili's thoughts playing out over those few moments. She didn't notice the intensity of his eyes, or the sudden admiration they were projecting. She just saw Kili, the boy who was caring for her, the boy who she would be eternally grateful for, for he reminded her of something beyond the importance of gold and gems. This boy, who sat before her, had shown our traveller, Eryne Ailithia, that it was ok to be cared for, and she didn't have to be strong all of the time. Eryne suddenly remembered what her father had always told her, that she never had to be alone, she never had to fight alone, she never had to cry alone. It wasn't a crime to have help. Eryne could not express how thankful she was that Kili had showed her this again, and for the first time in a long while, she felt she wasn't alone anymore, she had someone to be strong with her, a friend, a true, dear friend.

The two, suddenly light-hearted companions, went on to eat their breakfast in silence, dancing in the flavours. It wasn't meat, but it filled them quite well. Once they were done, Kili helped Eryne pack up her clothes, gifts and other essentials before they left to meet the rest of the company at the stables. They were late, quite late, and Thorin's eyes bore into them as they quickened their pace. It was at this point that they had to leave their ponies and horses, for the terrain ahead was too treacherous for them to walk upon. So they set off, on foot, heading towards the misty mountains.

When they first joined the group that morning, both Eryne and Kili had seen the company's amused faces, the dwarves were assuming that they had laid together that night, and were putting it to blame for their lateness. As result, Eryne felt obliged to walk with Bilbo and Gandalf that day, not that it changed anything, she could still hear them tormenting Kili, and she could still see how uncomfortable it was making him. It wasn't till they were sheltering in a cave in the mountain path however, that Kili's rage exploded.

"You torment me yet nothing happened!"

The company hushed so that all that could be heard was the roaring storm and the stonegiants hurling rocks in the distance.

"The girl was tired, and so I helped her, but as it happens I left the keys in the door carrying her inside, and so it locked! Nothing more happened, I simply slept on the floor, If you all must know! Your corruption sickens me! As if I would bed a girl who I am nothing but friends with, you may all lay with strangers for a price but I would not do such things for anything less than love!".

At this the dwarves said no more, though the silence was drowned out by the noises of the night. They all fell asleep eventually, some sick with guilt, others inspired to change, but for Eryne, it was something different, never had she heard such genuine words from a dwarf, or a man of her kind for that matter. A man waiting to love and to be loved rather than to be pleasured. It was beautiful, perfect...


End file.
